Is it still a friends with benefits if it was never called that?

I was "seeing" a man for the better part of nine months and we met like regurlar people do. Saw eachother weekly like regurlar people do. About a month into the dating I asked him if we were only casual, his answer was "I don't know". At the time I felt I asked too soon so Iet the issue go. We continuted on for months. NOT ONCE DID HE EVER SAY THAT WE WERE FWBs. We talked almost everyday, saw eachother when we could. He gave me books. I brought him food when he was sick. I comforted him when he was down. He told me about his family and I told him about mine. He called me pet names. He tole me he liked me 4 times. Everything regular people do.

When it was over, he kept applogzing and that saying he was a fucked up person and that I deserved someone better. My friend, whom I always came to for support, seems to thing that we were only "friends with benefits". I had to look it up and I totally disagree that I was in that kind of relationship.

Do help finish this fight (because I'm about to hit this bitch in her throat) do you thing this was a friends with benefits relationship?